Fungal spore germination is the initial process in the development of most mycotic infections. Furthermore, it represents a fundamental example of cellular differentiation in eukaryotic organisms. One of the most striking and significant features which occurs during spore germination is the initiation of, and rapid increase in, the synthesis of those macromolecules, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), and protein, involved in the informational, enzymatic, and structural architecture of the newly forming fungus mycelium. However, studies on the nature of the interrelationships between these syntheses and spore germination are only beginning. Eventually it should be possible to explain spore germination and spore dormancy at the molecular level. The objectives of the present project are to continue our studies on DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis during fungal spore germination. The major emphasis will include studies on (a) the properties of messenger RNAs in ungerminated and germinated spores, (b) the interaction of these messenger RNAs with ribosomes, (c) the chemical and biological properties of chromatin from ungerminated and germinated spores, (d) the factors involved in the initiation of protein synthesis in germinated and ungerminated spores, and (e) the role of mitochondrial protein and nucleic acid synthesis in spore germination. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Van Etten, J.L., L.D. Dunkle, and R.H. Knight. 1976. Nucleic acids and fungal spore germination. In W. Hess and D. Weber (eds.), The Fungal Spore: Form and Function. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York, p. 243-300. Van Etten, J. L., L. D. Dunkle, and S. Freer. 1976. Germination of Rhizopus stolonifer sporangiospores. In D. M. O'Day and P.A. Horgen (eds). Eukaryotic Microbes as Model Developmental Systems. Marcell Dekker: (in press).